Sirius Black and Hermione Granger
by Leverne
Summary: I wrote it long time ago and have NO plans of finishing/continuing it. Let me know if somebody is interested in finishing it themselves. Introduction when it comes to The Marauders and The Golden Trio. Appreciate a read and a review.


Ok, this is just something I wrote over a year ago when I was stuck in the woods one rainy summer and always had plans of moving on with but like mpst things, the inspiration got dried out and I found something else. Yeah, I know. I'm like that sometimes. Anyway, figured that I at least could post it and you could tell me what ya'll think.

But think of it more as a drabble then an actual story, I haven't found the energy to really edit it so thank you for your lenience ;)

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Mr. Sirius Black.

He'd always been an attention seeker. Be seen or heard, preferably by more then one person a time. In his surroundings there were three friends and plenty of women to go around.

Perfect for a man like him.

The first of the three friends Mr. Sirius Black had was the smart and silent type, not a very popular person but very kind nonetheless.

Mr. Remus Lupin was loyal to the core.

The second friend in their little tight knit group was the kin, brother in all aspects but blood, a petty thing to hang up on in the end. Both were the happiest in the spotlight with or without the other, and infamous for their many pranks. Until James Potter met Lily Evans.

Lastly (and what most people later on perceived; the least) was the odd follower. Shy, not much of a talker nor an achiever in the grand scheme of things, except for the feat of becoming an animagus.

Peter Pettigrew.

The four of them, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, James Potter and Peter Pettigrew, became and were 'The Marauders'.

Almost twenty years later, the kin and his love had been taken away and the follower had made it happen. Remus Lupin and Sirius Black were the last 'Marauders'.

Another close-knit group, much like 'The Marauders', consisted of the son of James Potter, Harry Potter, and his two friends Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger.

The fierce and destined attacker, the strategist and the brainy researcher

Hermione Granger. A muggleborn witch who strived for knowledge and books. Being new to the magical world, she tried to absorb as much as possible, and by doing so, she was found a bit too intense to her peers. With the upcoming war, her parents had been placed with a well made memory charm and hidden away, and with the end of the war she'd found her parents making a new life. Already with a second child and a well-established business, she then didn't have the heart to disrupt them yet again, and so the old 'Marauders' and the other two in the 'Golden Trio' became her family.

Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley were her brothers, the ones to let her know she was understood and when she was overbearing and anything else she could become. The same went for her and them, there were no true fear of stepping on anybody's toes in their family, but quarreling did of course occur. Especially between her and Ron.

Remus Lupin was her supportive surrogate father. He was the one to actually and fully understand her, often smelling her distress thanks to his canine senses, and they spent many nights talking in the library over hot chocolate.

To those three men, she was the most important female there'll ever be in their lives. It was her they made sure to hear laugh, cause the day seemed brighter with the sound of her laughter and giggles. It was her they made sure to comfort whenever she cried or felt resolute, cause there was nothing more heartbreaking then to hear her sobs and see the tears fall along her cheeks.

Then there was Sirius Black.

Sirius was childish where Hermione was wiser beyond her years; he was rash and impulsive where she was careful and methodical. He was outgoing and loud where as she was private and soft-spoken.

In the beginning, they would be on separate directions when in a room. They'd never really gotten along much other then in her third Hogwarts year where most contact fell in to the category of _'Saving Sirius Black'. _There was a soft-spoken truce that had reigned between the two, '_Don't Upset Harry'_, up until the moment when Sirius fell through the Veil.

When Sirius came back from the Veil (the end of 'The Golden Trios' first year out of Hogwarts, they had re-attended their seventh year after persuasion from both Ms McGonnagle and Hermione) and landing on top of the kitchen table in Grimmauld Place just as Remus was departing, Hermione was well supplied in all potions and spells he needed to recover from the shivering mess he'd appeared as. During the two weeks it took for Harry and Remus to be sure of Sirius recovery, not many was aware of Hermione's whereabouts and those who asked, received the sight of the boys tensing and glancing at each other and then to Sirius, before mumbling mixtures of "off studying somewhere" or "researching for the order". Sirius was quick to divert the curious questioner with a word or two, and when Hermione later came back, no one made the impression of her ever being gone.

Sirius never got an answer out of the boys or Hermione self when he asked about her missing and after that they really couldn't communicate. Sirius was rougher and darker then before and among the four other occupants in Grimmauld Place, Hermione was the easiest to be snapping at cause she gave as good as she got and needed a good tongue lashing session as much as him.

That was how their second silent agreement surfaced, polite until the time when it became too much for one of them and the arguing and snapping would commence. Most people didn't care, they viewed it as Hermione's and Sirius' dealing with the remaining tensions from the war and only Remus was the one wiser thanks to his canine senses. The distance between arguing became wider with time and was called off after Hermione heard Sirius complain to Remus about her and "how utterly boring and useless the plain girl is". In a fit of blind judgment, she avoided Remus as well and refused to acknowledge it when Harry and Ron called her on it. In the end, Remus had gotten through to her, breaking his character behavior and desperately asking what he'd done and was not one to take rebuttal well.

Sirius in the mean time had gotten even more frustrated with the boys behavior around the plain girl who had everybody wrapped around her little finger, ignoring her friends to the point of absurdum and then getting them back without the least of apology. It wasn't long until the tense silence between Hermione and Sirius was breeched, and then it was by Sirius with degrading comments. It wasn't much the words he used, it was the tone and underlying meaning to the words, things only Hermione would understand and feel pinpointed by. He was irritated and frustrated with the lack of action in the order concerning the last Death Eaters roaming around after Voldemort's death, and his decreasing free time to consort with women.

"Here we have her! The brainy bore from the library. My library, I might add, and I have yet gotten a sign of gratitude for sharing the tombs of my family." Hermione stood rigid in the open doorway, one leg through, and looked up to meet Sirius' smirking face. She glanced at the table in front of him where there stood an old bottle of Firewhisky, his shot glass still full.

"My research is for the Order and not private use, don't have that luxury, therefore I do not think it is my job to thank you personally. You want more signs of gratitude, I recommend you ask for one from the Order at the next meeting" Hermione answered haughtily and walked further in to the kitchen, placing her books and notes at the counter and pouring herself a glass of lemonade. Sirius cocked his head to the side as he watched her movements, his clenched jaw and crossed arms the only sign of his tension.

"But you are the only one in there, more often then just Order business" he answered and fought the urge to bare his teeth in a growl, dismayed that he received no gratitude from the little chit. He cocked his head to the other side in cold contemplation when she didn't answer.

"Shouldn't you be out, having a life like the boys? With your appearance and attitude, you should try and get as much as you can now before people become the wiser." She scowled hurt, baring her teeth and glaring in to those cold smirking eyes, listening to the few kitchen inhabitants discuss the latest news on criminal registry in true obliviousness to the two's enmity. Her eyes started to burn and her lungs skipped a breath, feeling alone and cold when staring into the dark eyes, grey blending into cold black. She took a huge gasping breath to steady herself when she heard Harry, Ron and Remus stumble in laughingly to the kitchen and looked to her books and notes on the counter, picking them up and feeling her heart clench at Sirius' mocking look.

"Hello boys, good day?" Her voice were steady and her face was starting to turn into a almost perfected mask, improved during the years, and raised her eyebrows at the boys who slowly sat down by the table. Harry smiling brightly in greeting to his godfather, who's eyes brightened for a second and murmured reply as he clapped Harry on the back, before they turned back to the waiting Hermione.

"I was at work, Auror training is no piece of cake, but yeah" Harry chuckled and preened under Hermione's mothering. As much as Hermione mothered him and pampered him, just as much did Sirius mean, being the father Harry always wanted to have, he could feel the tension between the two and felt so selfish for not saying anything. Ron had mumbled something about "better leaving it alone" and letting them take care of it themselves. Harry looked back at Hermione who murmured about "take a bath to relax your muscles" and saw her debating with her eyes at Remus who was staring at her imploringly.

Remus could feel the sadness radiating from her and the darkness from Sirius calling to him, imploring him to come out and play. He glanced at Sirius who was smirking and looking around at all the kitchen's occupants from underneath his lashes, stopping a long while at Hermione who seemed to tense, and then looking Remus in the eye with a smirk.

"I'm gonna retire for the time being, do take that relaxing bath later Harry and you too Ron. If it strikes your fancy you can do it at the same time, which I have no problem with what so ever, love over gender I say-"

"HERMIONE!" She laughed softly at the gaping boys whose mouth's had fallen open more and more with her every word. She nodded and gave them all a bright smile that fell as soon as she'd gotten into the library where she was to exchange one of her books. She sighed when she heard the floorboards creek under another guests weight and turned to smile softly at the werewolf in human form.

"Why do you do that Mione? Why don't you just say something to Harry if you don't want to confront Sirius? Nothing's gonna change if you don't say anything." Hermione whirled back to face her bookcase and Remus could see her tense shoulders as she browsed for a book.

"I can't do that to Harry, you and Sirius is all he's got left from his parents and he loves-" Remus sighed at the tiny bushy-haired female who stood regally in front of him, book clasped in her hand caringly, and rubbed his forehead with his fingers.

"Then tell Sirius the truth! If he knew then he-" Hermione interrupted by exclaiming a harsh sound and chucking the book towards his head and making a shushing sound.

"I am not weak! I don't need anybody's pity or false kindness."

"But-"

"Shut up Remus! I love you but that is not your place!" She gave him a stony stare, one of her most efficient ones, and Remus faltered slightly to a almost pleading tone.

"If you'd only tell me-"

"NO!" She started packing her things together, slamming books on the table closed and almost ripping her notes in her anger. Remus jumped and looked at her jerky movements with trepidation, she was emptying the whole room of her work, which meant that she had no plans of coming back for a while. Last time they'd argued, Remus pushing too far in his questioning, she'd been away for three days and only thanks to a tiny note sent flying to Harry dispersed any drama. Only Remus knew the true circumstances and her distraught attitude about the memories and circumstances of Sirius' return.

"I have told you, time and time again, that I don't want to talk about **that** but do you listen? Of course not! I am so sick of this and everybody else being so _forgetful_ and _dismissive- _Who cares about nerdy Hermione Granger! All she does is sit and read!" She furiously wiped off the traitorous tears from her cheeks before rushing out the door, almost tackling Remus in her distraught hurry, and slamming the entrance door to Grimmauld Place. Leaving a sagging Remus Lupin and the old portrait of Mrs. Black screeching profanities and curses.

The cold and harsh wind was like whips on her face, her simple sweatshirt not enough to keep her warmth, kicking stones and glaring at the ground was a dying comfort until she found a tree to slide down against. She'd walked quite the distance from Grimmauld Place in her anger and sat now in the next neighborhoods park, a round-along-swing swinging softly in tune with the strong wind.

"Why don't you just tell them the truth poppet?" A soft, sophisticated, drawl said and kicked away something with his shoe, to stand in it's place. Hermione studied the shiny boot and followed the pants to his torso and made a aggravated sigh at his waiting smirk, almost saying "you like what you see?" She shook her head bitterly and made a sound between self-pity and distrust.

"It's better if they don't know anything more then what they know now, they wouldn't see the same thing we do, and aren't you happy how things are? You were the one who-"

"Don't you dare!" Hermione jumped at his vehement interruption and looked up into his eyes, which stood flashing, and his jaw was tightly clenched.

"Malfoy-" He interrupted her again with a harsh and bitter laugh.

"Even now, after everything, you still can't say my first name." He shook his head, not just a statement but was still not expecting an answer.

"Me, being the one to take care of you those weeks, me who sat with you and listened to your frustrated babbling and hurt feelings. Me who has been visited by you three times a week, the least, and who knows you better then those stupid dunderheads you call family!" He stood breathing heavy with his hands clenched and staring at a point on the bark of the tree above her head.

"If you didn't want me to come to you, why-"

"That's not what I said Granger and you know it." Hermione raised her eyebrows amused at his use of her maiden name when he himself complained about her doing the same, but he merely dismissed her gesture.

"You're probably right-" she sighed "-you might know me better then them, but** I **know **them** better then anybody and that is what we all need during this time in the war. Harry needs to feel understood through everything he has to endure, and I love him enough to endure my own part." She stood up and looked at him softly, facing him straight and grabbing on of his hands to calm his muscles. Her touch always made him relax and it didn't take long until his hand slackened under her comforting hold.

"You have seen me at my lowest, being my anchor in my times of need, but **they love me**. So much, and that exceeds everything else." He frowned and his hand slowly tensed again in angry confusion of her blind faith and loyalty.

"Their love is worth it all you say. To have to go through all that and then have him do that to you-" she took a step closer and grabbed his cheeks, looking up at him through heavy lidded eyes, as if tired and trying to block out his truth.

"Harry needed Sirius, Draco. And it's easier, for me, to deal with things when they don't know." He sighed, a small catch of his breath when she said his name and soothed his face with her thumbs, but the anger kept lurking and growing as he stared into her warm eyes. He knew all of this, he knew that those silly dunderheads was her family and that they would always come first, she'd told him before they became friends that he was better off not coming too close cause she didn't have much more of herself to dedicate to another friend. She smiled sadly at him, as if knowing what he was thinking, and that made him step out of her embrace, her touch was too soothing and warm to let him keep his cold anger.

"They don't appreciate you enough Hermione. They don't know what you've sacrificed for them, and then letting that **mutt** treat you how he is when in reality he should fall to his knees and worship you like a goddess for what you've done to him! No!" He silenced her with his eyes and got even angrier when she closed off and made an almost submissive gesture.

"You brought him back from the veil Hermione! You let that- **that thing!** -get inside your sheets and in the form of somebody you know!" He looked up from his tirade to see Hermione stand tense and looking away with shameful tears pooling in her eyes and winced away from him when he made a move to touch her in silent apology for his rash and cold words. She took a deep breath and ignored the tears that ran down her cheeks, how Draco stared at them if disgusted, and spoke clearly.

"I know what I've done Draco, trust me, and I won't forget it soon. But I did what I had to do and I will not stand here and let you make me feel cheaper then I already do!" The look in her eyes was very reminiscent of the time when he'd called her that word, 'Mudblood', for the first time and also from that time when she'd punched him in the nose. He looked at her tears sadly, hating himself for making her cry; he never could stand the sight of her tears. He let his head hang, bumping his chin with the top of his chest and placed his hands on his hips, bunching his velvet coat and the grey linen shirt he wore underneath, around his fingers. She crossed her arms, letting her head fall the same way as his, and dug in the ground with the front of her shoe nervously. The wind had calmed down, as if agreeing with their truce and not wanting to disturb the peace, but it was still cold outside, especially to Hermione who hadn't thought of to cast a heating charm. Why use the charm when she just as easily could do something the muggle way, putting more clothes on, besides; the reheating process afterwards was more then worth the biting cold.

"I'm just gonna go, Remus is probably worried." She glanced up at him, almost afraid that he'd reverted back into the thirteen-year old boy who hated her to death and uncrossed her arms. Draco looked up at the sound of her soft voice, she always sounded so drained nowadays- as if tired from having to keep her powers in check at all times. He gnawed softly on his lower lip and let his hands fall from his hips with a sigh. He walked up to her and hugged her under her arms, like she was a little girl and he her father, and hoisted her up till' she stood on her tip-toes and placed her own arms comfortingly around his shoulders and neck. They were both very physical people, always touching one part of each other as anchors and holding each other for several moments when saying goodbye, almost afraid it would be for the last time.

"I wish I could make you reconsider but I'll be here nonetheless." He smiled down at her, a tiny and out of character for the normally stoic pureblood Malfoy, and stroked her cheek affectionally. She wrinkled her nose at the ticklish feeling and jumped up to give him a familiar kiss on the cheek.

"Take care of yourself and that lovely mother of yours. Be careful of her and Blaise's conspiracies though, I heard they were planning on hiring a male stripper jumping from a huge birthday-cake at your party." She smiled at his hesitantly phrased question, as if scared of the word "male" in front of the word.

"Male stripper?" Hermione nodded and backed away, facing him so she could see his reaction.

"A man who get's paid for dancing to music and taking his clothes off." His nose and brows screwed up and his whole face displayed his abhorrence to the 'plans'.

"But then everybody'll think- I am so gonna put a stop to this 'stripper' nonsense." He swung around elegantly and took a few decisive step before disapparating, leaving a giggling Hermione. She could just imagine Draco's face when told of 'female strippers'.

She rubbed her arms and turned to continue her journey back to Grimmauld Place, looking at all the lovely autumn colors of the leaves on the trees and on the ground.

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Well then my dear readers, what do you think?

Obviously I had in mind to evolve on things but I hope you guys still can give me some sort of opinion.

Hope things are good with ya'll! // Tilly


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